


Rocket Science

by bbittner333



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Caring Merle, Daryl’s Childhood, Gen, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Pre-Apocalypse, Young Daryl Dixon, Young Merle Dixon, small amount of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 08:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18687799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbittner333/pseuds/bbittner333
Summary: While with Bob, Sasha, Michonne and Ty, Daryl reflects on Merle teaching him to hot wire a car as a kid.





	Rocket Science

“Go on. It ain’t rocket science,” Daryl muttered with a cigarette pursed between his teeth. He beat under the hood to make sure the battery was tightly secured in its place in the car.

Bob ducked forward to the car and got in and started fiddling for the wires. A memory attacked Daryl, full swing, as he was tucked under that hood.

_Daryl sat in the middle of the beat up Chevy truck while Merle was tucked on the floor. His back was laid out on the ground as he fiddled with the red and green wires. He had his pink tongue poked out between his teeth._

_“Now see Darlena,” Merle said in a carefree voice, “It ain’t rocket science. You just take the red and green wire and strike ‘em together till the engine starts.”_

_Daryl was only ten. He had his hands in the torn front pocket of his sweatshirt Merle had given him._

_“Merle, my teacher said stealin’ was wrong,” Daryl said softly as he fiddled with a lose strand on his hoodie._

_Merle actually stopped his attempts at the wires and turned his head to look at Daryl. He looked a lot like their father Will, but he didn’t have the harsh angry frown lines on his face yet. Or the permanent scowl Will kept on his face. Daryl wasn’t scared though, Merle wouldn’t ever hurt Daryl like Will did._

_“Boy!” Merle snapped suddenly, “What did I tell you?”_

_“Not to listen to those uppity, educated teachers,” Daryl repeated softly. “But Merle-“_

_“Goddamn battery is bad,” Merle cursed. He sat up and let his lanky legs hang out of the car. Merle still hadn’t put on a lot of muscle yet. He was only 17 and had already enlisted in the army for when he turned 18. But he hadn’t told Daryl yet._

_“How do we fix it?” Daryl asked looking up at his brother through his bangs._

_Merle turned to look at his baby brother, “We don’t. We either get a new battery or find another car to jack.”_

_Considering they were on the really shitty part of town and this was a gas station that closed many years ago and that people purposefully brought cars that didn’t work here anymore, they didn’t have a variety of choices._

_“You can’t fix a battery?” Daryl asked looking at the popped hood as if it would tell him the answers._

_Merle gave a laugh filled with malice, “How you gonna fix a battery, Darlena?” Merle taunted. “‘Gonna read it a bed time story?”_

_Daryl scowled at his brother. “Do we get a battery or do we try another car?”_

_Daryl’s small voice held no real authority in it. He didn’t even sound like he was talking back. He still didn’t want to steal a car but Merle said he needed to go see Carlos. Daryl hoped none of the other cars worked because he didn’t want his brother to see Carlos. Merle acted different after he saw Carlos. He was mean and forgot Daryl was there and he wouldn’t bring him hunting or anything._

_“Ugh piss,” Merle cursed colorfully. “I don’t know. Do you know what the battery looks like?”_

_Daryl shrugged a little. He didn’t know if he knew what the battery looked liked._

_“Well,” Merle muttered, “Looks like we gonna have to find another car.”_

_Merle got up and waited for Daryl to scoot off the bench of the truck before he slammed the car door shut behind him._

_Daryl and Merle struggled for a solid hour before an engine worked. When it came to life, purring, Merle had hooted and hollered. Daryl didn’t feel the same enthusiasm._

_“What’s wrong, Darlena?” Merle asked in a cold voice, the closest he could get to caring._

_Daryl crosses his arms and huffed. “Don’t want to go to no Carlos’s house.”_

_Merle raised and eyebrow, “Whoa boy, gettin’ kind of mouthy are we? Would you rather me take you back to the ol’ man and let him tear into your worthless hide?”_

_Daryl felt fear crawl up his little spine. He quickly shook his head. “No, I ain’t want to see Daddy.”_

_“That’s what I thought,” Merle said as he pushed Daryl into the passenger seat and he slid into the driver’s. “Ol’ Merle take care of you baby brother. Ain’t no one ever gonna love you or care about you like me. You hear? Not even Daddy.”_

_“Yeah I hear, Merle.” Daryl said softly. “I hear.”_

_“You gonna come with me to Carlos and you gonna be polite, you hear?”_

_Daryl nodded. Merle wrapped a hand over Daryl’s shoulders as he started to drive. His other hand laid carelessly on the wheel. Daryl knew to enjoy this while it lasted. Merle wasn’t affectionate often. The fact that he took Daryl out here and showed him how to hot wire cars was something in itself. It just showed how good a mood Merle was in. And the fact that he was holding Daryl?_

_Well Daryl thought that meant Merle was happy, and if Merle was happy so was Daryl._

Daryl pulled himself from his trance like state. “Give it some gas.”

Bob climbed into the car and the engine revved up. Daryl clapped his hand a little and took a drag on his cigarette. Just like Merle had taught him. He whistled loudly for Michonne and Ty to come. He slammed the hood shut and he walked up to Bob, who had planted himself in the passenger seat.

“Me and Sasha picked that spot. He took you with us. Ain’t no way nobody could have known,” Daryl muttered to Bob. He wasn’t the comforting type. But Bob had to get it through his skull it wasn’t his fault Zach died. “You ain’t gonna be standin’ alone. Ain’t no more. Let’s go.”

He called to Michonne and Ty. Daryl slid into the passenger seat and stared out the window. His stupid pig faced brother had taught him the things he needed to survive in their old life and this one now. He missed the ungrateful son-of-a-bitch. But he had a job to do. So he’d stick to that and fuss about his feelings later.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey first work I’ve ever published. If you like this I do request! Just leave me a comment down below.


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